Automatically-closing valve for flushing water-closets, &amp;c.



W. H. BOWMJAN. AUTOMATIGALLY CLOSING VALVE FOR FLUSHING WATER oLosETs,Aw l APPLICATION FILBB 176,27, 1906. 901,583, Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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@unaniem dn'zmn THE NDRRS PETIRS C04, WASHINGTON, D- C.

WALTER H. BOWMAN, OF ELMHURST, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATICALLY-CLOSING VALVE FOR FLUSHING- WATER-GLOSETS, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed August 27, 1906. Serial No. 332,212.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elmhurst, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticallyeClosingValves for Flushing lVater-Closets and the Like, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is the production of a valve device, which,after it has been set in operation, shall discharge a predeterminedquantity of water or other liquid and then automatically close; saiddevice to be especially adapted for flushing water closets, urinals andthe like, though it may be used in other connections where a certainquantity of liquid is to be intermittently discharged.

The invention consists in certain novelties of construction andcombinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one example of thephysicalembodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciple.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the device showing the relativelocations of the parts when in closed position. Fig. 2 is a similarvertical section in elevation showing the relative locations of theparts when the valve is in a full open position and about to commencethe operation of closing. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line w- Fig. 2.

Referring to the several figures, the numeral 1 designates a cylindricalbody portion internally threaded at 2, having a bottom wall 3 providedwith an opening 4, projecting into which opening are several guide lugs5, a lower externally threaded flange 6, and a side discharge opening 7threaded to receive a delivery pipe 8' as shown; 9, is a frusto-conicalbody threaded at the ends, the top threads engaging the threaded flange6 and the bottom threads adapted to receive the end of a water supplypipe; 10, a piston fitting the inner surface of the cylindrical bodyportion and provided with a relief vent or groove 11 at its externalsurface; 12, an opening at the center of the piston within which issecured a tube 13, the lower end of which is guided by the lugs 5 at thebottom of the body portion; 14, a threaded valve upon the lowerend ofthe tube embracing a packing 15 which bearsl against the flange 16, adownwardly projecting tube 17 having a slot or opening 18 in its sidewall, and two projecting lugs 19 between which is pivoted a lever 20,one end of the lever being located within the slot 18 of the tube andthe other end provided with a movable headed screw bolt 21 which is ad!justable; 22 is an operating rod extending through the tube 13 andcomprises the top projecting part 23, passing through a nut 24 upon theremovable cap or cover 25 which latter closes the top end of thecylinder or body portion, and the lower part 26 to which at its extremeend is removably secured a conical nut 27 having a packing 2S whichbears against the projecting end of the tube 13 as shown. The lower endof the part 23 at the point 29 is circular in cross section and of thesame diameter as the passage in the tube 13, but below the point 29 themetal is removed from the sides of the rod so as to provide an openingor openings 30, 30 for the passage of liquid. The part 26 is of asimilar construction throughout its length and for the same purpose.

`The meeting endsof the two parts 23 and 26 of the operating rod are cutaway at 31 and 32 so that the projecting part 33 hooks over orinterlocks with the projecting part 34 and thus forms a sliding joint,whereby the part of the rod 23 may be lowered some distance withoutimparting motion to the lower part 26 of the rod. The top end of thepart 23 is provided with a knob 35 and between this knob and the jam nut24, and

,upon the rod, is located a spiral spring 36 which normally holds theoperating rod in a raised position with the packing 28 bearing againstthe end of the tube 13, as shown.

The modus operandi is as follows: The several parts of the deviceoccupying the relative positions shown by Fig. 1, liquid under pressurein the frusto-conical lower part 9 cannot pass to the pipe 8, as isobvious. To effect a limited discharge of the liquid the hand is placedupon the knob 35 and the upper part of the rod lowered against thepressure of spring 36 far enough to engage the lower part of the rod andforce it downwardly a suflicient distance to bring the conical nut 27below the end of the lever 20, which lever then holds the nut andpacking away from the end' ofl tube 13 thus allowing the liquid tofiowup the interior of the said tube by way of the passages 30 to theinclosed space 37 above the piston 10. The round portion of the rodobviously closes the tube and prevents the flow of liquid until theconical nut 27 has engaged the lever 20. The hand then being removedfrom the knob the spring' will raise the part 23 of the rod and withdrawthe round part of said rod at Q9 from the tube. The liquid flowing intoVthe space 37 will force the piston 10 with the tube 13 downwardly andcarry the valve 14 with its attachments away from its seat and open up apassage for the liquid through opening 4 to pipe S, inasmuch as the areaof the piston 10 is greaterthan the external area of the valve 14. rlhepiston 10 continues to travel downwardly carrying with it the tube 13,the valve 14, the lever 20, the operating rod, and the conical nut heldby the lever -away from the end of the tube 13, until they occupy therelative positions shown by F ig. 2 where the head of the screw bolt 21rests in frictional contact with the inner inclined surface of thefrusto conical part 9 of the device. A slightly farther travel of thepiston rotates the lever and releases the conical nut and levertherefrom, which latter by the action of the spring is raised and closesthe opening to the tube 13. The liquid in the space 37 slowly dischargesby way of the vent 11 and the spring raises the piston and the tubebrings the valve 14 to its seat. The quanti-ty of water discharged maybe regulated by the size of the opening 4, or the size of the vent 11,or the capacity of the coiled spring upon the operating rod, or byadjusting the set screw 21.

While I have illustrated and described only one example of the physicalembodiment of m-y invention I do not thereby intend to limit the scopethereof to such example in details of construction, inasmuch as changes,additions, and substitutions of parts may be introduced in practicewhich will not constitute substantial departures.

The operating rod may in some cases be` made in one instead of twopieces, the tube 17 be omitted, though its presence is desirable to aidin closing the valve 14, and the lever 2O be otherwise disposed andstill perform its functions. Such and other modifications may be madeand the device perform its functions of intermittently discharging theliquid under pressure.r

What I claim is 1. The combination in a valve device, of a cylindricalbody portion having a bottom with an opening for the admission ofliquid, and a discharge opening; a piston within the cylindrical body; avalve adapted to close the opening for the admission of liquid;

atube joining the piston and valve whereby the piston and valve willmove together; a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through thetube to the space above the piston means for opening said valve; meansfor holding said valve in an open position and for releasing the saidvalve and allowing it to close when the piston has moved downwardly asuitable distance within the cylindrical body portion of the device.

2. The combination in a valve device, of a cylindrical body having abottom with an` admission opening, and a discharge opening; a pistonwithin the cylindrical body; a valve for the admission opening; a tubeconnect-V ing the piston and valve so they will move together; a valvefor controlling the flow of liquid through the tube to the space abovethe piston; means for opening said valve; and a lever mechanism forholding said valve open until the piston has moved downwardly apredetermined distance.

3. The combination in a valve device, of a cylindrical body having abottom with an admission opening, and a discharge opening; a pistonwithin the cylindrical body; a valve for the admission opening; a levermechanism carried by said valve; a tube connecting the piston and valve;an operating rod located within the tube; a valve at the lower end ofthe rod controlling the flow of liquid through the tube to the spaceabove the piston; and means for operating the said lever mechanism whenthe piston moves downwardly within the cylindrical body.

4. The combination in a valve device, of a cylindrical body having abottom with an admission opening, and a discharge opening; a piston; avalve for the admission opening; a tube uniting the piston and valve; anoperating rod located within the tube and extending through the capwhich closes the top end of the cylinder, said rod having a knob betweenwhich and the said cap is located a spring and also a valve at its lowerend controlling the flow of liquid through the said tube; mechanism forholding the last mentioned valve open; and means, consisting of afrusto-conical body secured to the end of the cylindrical body, foractuating the said mechanism when the piston moves downwardly.

5. The combination in a valve device, of a cylindrical body having abottom with an admission opening, and a discharge opening; a piston; avalve forthe admission opening; a tube connecting the piston and valve,which latter carries a cylinder with an opening therethrough and apivoted lever with one arm located within the opening in the lylinder;an operating rod with a sliding ljoint within the tube; a spring uponthe upper end of the rod; a valve at the lower end of the rodcontrolling the flow of liquid through the tube; and a frusto-conicalbody secured to the end of the cylindrical body; in substance as and forthe purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a valve device having admission and dischargeopenings, of a piston, a valve, means connecting the said piston andmain valve so Water can pass through the admission opening; and

means for holding said supplemental valve 15 away from its seat andlalso releasing the same When the main valve has traveled doWn- Wardly apredetermined or suitable distance. In testimony whereof I aHiX mysignature in presence of tWO Witnesses.

VALTER H. BOWMAN. Witnesses ALONZO G. FISCHER, GEO. H. FISCHER.

